Through the Years
by Blondiebookworm
Summary: "Will you stay here with me?" "Yes... For how long?" "Forever." "Forever and longer." - For Fantome Star
1. Chapter 1

**For Fantome Star**

**I hope you like your Lingfan kissy-kissy-ness**

* * *

**Lan Fan: 4**

**Ling: 5**

"Young lord." Ling watched as Fu, his bodyguard, knelt before him, gesturing a small girl to do the same. "This is my granddaughter, she will be, er, accompanying us from now on."

The girl looked up at Ling, fear and sorrow in her eyes.

"Okay!" He smiled warmly at the girl and knelt down next to her, followed by astonished looks from Fu. "I'm Ling."

She hid her face in her hair, blushing, but did not answer.

"What's your name?" He felt a hand on his shoulder, looking up to see Fu.

"She doesn't speak." Even through the mask, Ling could see sadness in his protector's eyes, sadness matching that of the girl's. His eyes moved back to her.

"Why?" He ran a hand over her back, trying to calm her as she listened to the conversation.

"She witnessed the brutal murder of my son, her father, and her mother only a few days ago." Ling felt the girl begin to shake under his touch. "A doctor here in the palace said that she has resolved to not speak from the trauma. She may never speak again." The sadness in Fu's voice echoed in the large room.

"What's her name?"

"Lan Fan." Ling watched her sit up at attention at the mention of her name, her cheeks stained red with tears.

He wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug. "It's okay Lan Fan. I'm going to protect you."

"Young lord, I don't think that's entirely appropriate behaviour to show a common-" Ling glared at Fu.

"T-Thank you... Young Master..." He smiled at Lan Fan, brushing the hair from her face.

* * *

**Well, that was chapter one, here comes more!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Lan Fan: 12**

**Ling: 13**

It took Lan Fan a moment to feel the heat against her body as ling pinned her to the wall, ramming his lips onto hers. A small gasp escaped her lips, her eyes became wide.

_Ling's kissing me._

Another moment passed as she thought is over before she responded, kissing him back fiercely.

"Mmph... Lan Fa-" She stopped him by kissing him again.

It was sin, with she, a commoner and he, a prince. It was wrong.

_So why? Why does it feel so right?_


	3. Chapter 3

**Lan Fan: 14**

**Ling: 15**

He lusted for her, watching her train day after day.

He cursed at himself under his breath, regretting his inability to do anything, inability to tell her.

They would be leaving soon, to cross the desert, to go to a far-away place in a search for a myth. She had knelt before him, pledging to stay by his side, to protect him at all costs.

That was when he knew that his childhood friend had gone.


	4. Chapter 4

**Lan Fan: 14**

**Ling: 15**

"Lan Fan... What are you planning?! LAN FAN?!" A groan caught in Lan Fan's throat as she forced the blade through her flesh, sawing through the muscle that connected her injured arm to the rest of her body. He ran into an alley and tried to lay her down on the ground as softly as possible.

He could hear her breathing, sharp and shallow, as she attempted to cut through the bone. Blood spurted from her mouth. She bit down harder on the soaked hood, slowly slicing the last of the limb from her body.

The dead flesh fell to the ground, blood flowing from her shoulder rapidly. Ling ripped off his shirt, binding it over the wound in a desperate attempt to stem the bleeding. "G-go... Leave me..."

"I'm not leaving you!" He knelt infront of her, wiping the blood from her face. "We need to distract the homunculus..."

She grunted, pulling the string from her hood.

After a few minutes, a trap was rigged. A stray dog, bony and starving, had followed the trail of blood, lapping at the liquid before tthe string tightened around its paws, and it was caught.

"Hurry..." Lan Fan grunted.

Following her plan, Ling cut one of the bandaged from his arm, using it to tie the arm to the dog's back before letting it go, watching it run out of the alley and back down the street. Blood from the arm left a nice trail behind the canine.


	5. Chapter 5

**Lan Fan: 14**

**Ling: 15**

"Greed!" Ling fought for control in his own body. "Please!"

"Fine. I promise not to touch the girl. Happy?"

"...Thank you."


	6. Chapter 6

**Lan Fan: 14**

**Ling: 15**

He could hear her crying every night.

He could see the tears she held back every day.

They crossed the desert in silence, as she carried the body of her dead grandfather, his mask strapped to her head.

The mask of the eldest.

Trying to comfort her resulted in searing burns on his hand from the hot automail. He only could imagine how much the arm was burning her.

She was all alone in the world, her mother and father gone, her grandfather gone. He couldn't tell her that he was there for her. He had once sworn to protect her, and he hadn't. What would she think if he tried promising that to her again?

He would fail her again.

Right?

"You don't need to say anything to her." His sister pointed out, watching him struggle. "I think you can do something that can make much more of an impact."

"Shut up, Chang." He did have to admit that she was right though, maybe... He grinned. Just maybe...

This time, kissing Lan Fan didn't go so smoothly.


	7. Chapter 7

**Lan Fan: 15**

**Ling: 16**

She hated funerals, but this was the worst, watching her last family member being carried through the grass by tall men in red robes. When they placed the coffin on the ground, she stood at the podium, preparing to tell the tale of her grandfather's death.

"M-M-My... My grandfather died protecting..." Her eyes flashed to Ling, who stood beside her. She gulped. "Protecting me. He died, battling a monster."

Two hours later, the ceremony was over, the clearing empty. Lan Fan stood in front of the grave.

Fu

Honourably buried for service to the emperor.

May he fight on forever.

She felt a tear run down her face. She dropped to her knees. "I'm sorry grandfather..." And after laying a bundle of white roses on the stone, she vanished into the night.


	8. Chapter 8

**Lan Fan: 17**

**Ling: 18**

She appeared before him in the blink of an eye. "You called master?"

"Er, yes." He smiled that dorky smile at her and waved away the rest of his guards. "I wanted to talk to you."

She nodded, sitting with his as he gestured for her to do so.

"No, no... Lets go on a walk."

She shrugged, following him silently.

She was shocked when his lips crashed into her's, a blushing creeping up her face.

"MMPH!" She struggled, pushing him off her. "What are doing?!" He could see fear in her eyes.

"Lan Fan..." He looked at the floor. "I've tried... I've wanted to tell you..." He flushed. "I just don't know how to say it..."

She looked into his face as he took her hands. "I-I'm in love with you Lan Fan."

This time, he was the one who was surprised. His eyes opened in shock, before grinning into the continuing kiss.


	9. Chapter 9

**Lan Fan: 18**

**Ling: 19**

They laid in the grass in the palace courtyard, facing each other. Ling's hand ran over her face.

"Will you stay here with me?" He kissed her forehead lightly.

"Yes..." She hugged him tightly, closing her eyes and molding herself to him. "For how long?"

"Forever." He felt her grin against the skin of his neck.

"Forever and longer."


	10. Chapter 10

**Lan Fan: 18**

**Ling: 19**

He watched her train with grief in his eyes, following the automail with his gaze.

The arm, the burden that she bore because of him, for him. Emotions swelled within him. Sorrow, guilt, gratitude...

He watched the blade strike the air as if it was the enemy, slashing through the invisible army.

He stood, smiling.

_She is my savior._

_My protector._

_My love._

_My Lan Fan..._


	11. Chapter 11

**Lan Fan: 18**

**Ling: 19**

"Forever..." He chuckled, watching the ring he bought glint in the sun. "Forever..."

"Master Ling? What are you holding?" He flushed before stuffing the ring and box back into his pocket.

"N-Nothing!" She stared in disbelief for a second, then looked away.

Her eyes were sad.

"Very well. I'll leave you be."

"Wait! Lan Fan..." He stood, grabbing her arm. "Do you know where we are?"

She surveyed the scene.

"This is where we first met, twelve years ago to date." He grasped her hands as he answered his own question. "Lan Fan... The elders have given me permission to marry you."


	12. Chapter 12

**Lan Fan: 18**

**Ling: 19**

**May: 17**

It was the only jewelry she had ever worn.

The ring was graceful and light, a small diamond surrounded by black stones connected by a band of silver. It suited her. She watched it glint in Xing's hot summer's sun as she held her hand toward the sky.

"Hey, Lan Fan!" A short girl in braids came running at her, sitting with her underneath the shade of the tree.

"Hello May." She lowered her hand, setting it in her lap and hoping that May doesn't notice the ring.

"Oh, My!" May hugged Lan Fan. "Did brother do it? Did he propose?"

Lan Fan flushed and nodded.

"Ooh! Yay!" May's smile faltered for a moment, but remained genuine. "I'm really happy for you."

"What's wrong?" Lan Fan surveyed her soon-to-be sister.

May fell back on the grass. "Alphonse doesn't get it..." She threw a knife at the tree above them. "I don't think he likes me."

"You can always tell him what you feel." Lan Fan shrugged. She knew nothing when it came to romance.

"Okay." May ran off. "I'll be back!"

Lan Fan climbed into the tree, twisting the ring around her finger, thoughts on what she had told May.

She had not yet told Ling everything she felt for him.

Maybe it was time to.

Soon enough, it was nightfall, and Lan Fan entered her and Ling's shared room hesitantly.

_I'm going to tell him. _

"Hey there LanLan..." She felt two strong arms wrap around her from behind.

She smiled.

"Ling..." She twisted around his arms, facing him, and stood on her toes to kiss him. "I want to tell you."

"Hmmm?" He stroked her hair.

"I-I love you..." She flushed.

"I know..." He hugged her tighter. "I love you too LanLan..." He kissed her neck.

The red blush of her skin darkened at his touch. "I want to be with you... Forever..." She whispered, breathing the words into his ear.

"Forever." He interlaced his fingers with her's before they spoke in unison.

"Forever..."


	13. Chapter 13

**Lan Fan: 19**

**Ling: 20**

She let out a groan of displeasure, emptying her stomach into the toilet in front of her. Her hands ran through her hair roughly. There were two weeks until the wedding, and she was sick from the stress of it all.

"Lan Lan?" A genteel tap on the door made her rush to her feet.

_Ling can't see that I'm sick! _

Frantically she wiped her mouth and forehead, opening the door when she found herself to be presentable.

She smiled up at him.

"You've been in here an awful lot lately..." He looked down at her with worried eyes, wrapping her small hand in his large one. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Her stomach protested, the rest of her stomach contender beginning to push its way up her throat.

"Okay!" He smiled, then faltered, watching her dash to the edge of the toilet and spill her breakfast into it.

"I-I'm sorry you had to see that Young L-" she saw his glare quickly. "I-I mean Ling..."

He hugged her, brushing her hair with his fingertips. He sighed. "Go see the physician today, Okay? Feel better, I gotta go!" He pecked her on the lips quickly before straightening his crown and heading down the hall.

* * *

She hated hospitals. They were filled with germs. Plagues and viruses that she cannot defend herself from with her weapons. She shifted, uncomfortable on the paper.

"Miss Lan Fan?" A shy looking girl approached her, papers in her hands. "Here are your results, along with a prescription vitamin." She gave the papers to Lan Fan and smiled. "Congratulations!"

A confused look on her face, Lan Fan left the room, skimming the papers quickly.

She sighed. "Nothing to worry about..." She turned over the page, and promptly dropped the papers.

_What?!_


End file.
